


Passion to a Stranger

by anoncitomikolino, AxisMage



Category: DC Animated Universe, DCU, DCU (Comics), Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Artistic Liberties, Conversations, DCU Big Bang, DCU Big Bang 2019, Dialogue Heavy, Did I already mention linebreaks, Dimension Travel, Flashbacks, Linebreaks, M/M, Magic, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Multiverse, Tons and tons of dialogue and conversations, and I tried my best to make sense of it, as in some things might not make sense, because the DC world is a mess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2020-11-08 19:49:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20841059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anoncitomikolino/pseuds/anoncitomikolino, https://archiveofourown.org/users/AxisMage/pseuds/AxisMage
Summary: Time hasn't made it easier. Time hasn't made him forget, nor has it erased the horrible events. Finding himself somewhere those event didn't happen, Kon-El hopes he gets to forget them. Instead, he is faced with the memories now more than ever. This time, he can't avoid them, or rather, Dick and a man suspiciously similar to him won't let him.





	Passion to a Stranger

**Author's Note:**

> So, to start off, the cheesy stuff. Feel free to skip the silly speech LOL. 
> 
> It's my first Big Bang, and I couldn't have had a better partner to work with. Cherry, thank you for your patience and trust, thank you for being such a sweetheart and above all thank you for bringing this fic to life with your art. I'm so glad we got to work together!
> 
> Second, thank you Lorelain for being a life saver, a coach, a bestie and the backbone I lack. Thank you for being my beta, for putting up with all my chaos and craziness, for your patience and support.
> 
> Thank you both SO FREAKING MUCH!

By the time he and Artemis went inside the house to fetch cold drinks for the two of them and the rest of the team outside, Dick was still focusing on the screens. The last time Conner had entered the Cave, which had been four hours ago, Dick had been reading the screens with an almost terrifying intensity. Now, he was tracing a map on one of his tablets, and he’d moved his chair to face one of the smaller computers.

Artemis and Conner exchanged a glance, then he took a step forward, leaving Artemis to head for the kitchen on her own.

“I’ll take the drinks outside,” she called.

“Thanks. We’ll be right out,” Conner replied, even though they both knew it was a lie.

Artemis disappeared down the hall. Conner walked to the screens, stood behind Dick’s chair and laid his hands on his shoulders.

“We're done training,” he said.

Dick didn’t stop tracing lines and adding numbers to his little map. “How’s Brion doing? His reaction time got better?”

“A bit. Halo discovered a new color.”

“Good.”

Conner sighed, squeezed Dick’s shoulders not too gently. “Come on, enough of this. It’s time to go home.”

“Not yet.”

“Dick—”

Dick tapped his finger against a circle he’d drawn between all the lines. “After the last clash between Klarion and Zatanna more hotspots have been appearing all over Happy Harbor. There is nothing to see, but we know thanks to thermal vision that there´s something and now…” Dick let out a frustrated sound and pointed to another circle drawn over the faint outline of a house.

Conner peered over his shoulder. “That’s our place?”

“Yeah.”

“That wasn’t there last time I came in to check on you.”

“It wasn’t. The radars detected it only about an hour ago, right above the house. It’s not a good sign.”

“How much danger do you think we’re in, especially if we go home?” Conner asked, already feeling a sigh form at the base of his throat. It had been a rough afternoon, he was actually tired and would like nothing better than to go home, order some takeout and fall into bed early.

Dick hummed, then tipped his head back and frowned up at him. Conner waited.

“I don’t know,” Dick admitted. “It’s been over a week and nothing has happened. They haven't gotten bigger, they haven’t become visible. This is the only one that’s appeared after those four we detected since Zatanna’s fight. They don’t represent an immediate danger.”

“But now you’re worried more than before because one of these hotspots has appeared right on top of our place.”

Dick’s silence was confirmation enough. Conner mulled it over, then gave Dick’s shoulders another squeeze. “Let’s go home. Wolf’s there, Sphere’s there. If something or someone comes out of the hotspots we won’t go down easy.”

Dick let out a soft groan of protest, tipped his head a bit farther so it bumped against Conner’s stomach. “You make a good point, but only because I’m as tired of these screens as you are from training.”

“Who said I was tired?”

“You have your ‘takeout and early night’ face on.”

“No, I don’t.”

Dick chuckled, pushed Conner’s hands off his shoulders and got up from his chair. “Maybe not and I'm the one who’s in the mood for that. Let’s go. We’ll get Italian on the way and hope aliens don’t come out from the hotspots while we fight over the risotto.”

* * *

It was seven-thirty in the morning the very next day when aliens came piling out of the hotspot on top of their house and World War X broke out.

In Conner’s words instead of Dick’s, it was seven-thirty in the morning when a piece of the ceiling came crashing down in the middle of their kitchen and interrupted their early make-out session.

The crash was sudden. One second, Dick’s arms and legs are wrapped around Conner and their lips were crashing against each other’s, the bacon forgotten on the stove. The next, there was a loud sound, followed by a pile of rubble landing not two feet away from them.

Their bubble burst so suddenly, had they had more time to process the situation, Dick would have probably been dizzy.

Dick dropped his arms and legs from around Conner, slid off the counter and reached for a knife as fast as humanly possible. Conner moved forward the second he was free in a defensive stance. The rubble didn’t move or shift, but the pile was too big for the hole it had left in their roof. Suspiciously so.

Taking a deep breath, Conner laid a hand on top of one of the broken beams at their feet. Their eyes met. Dick nodded. Conner pulled the beams back, Dick angled the knife and moved in with quick and agile steps.

There was a blur. More pieces of beam and debris flew around the room. Dick dove for the ground with a cry of, “We’ve got a fast one!” and then Conner was moving on a blur of his own. Eyes scanning the room and body moving faster than his mind, he managed to get his hands on the intruder. There was a gasp, a curse, followed by Conner pushing the figure to the ground. Hard.

A gloved fist and a booted foot shot out so fast Conner only dodged the fist. He grunted as the boot connected with his stomach, didn’t think much else of it. Instead, he lashed out with his own fists, hitting the intruder hard enough to get a yowl out of them. Then there was a pause, a second in which Conner hesitated on landing another blow.

The brief hesitation was all the distraction Dick and the intruder needed.

A gloved fist connected with Conner’s jaw, which was quickly followed by another shove. This one was so hard Conner sailed through the air.

There was a flash of silver. Dick stopped thinking and let his body do the job. By the time Conner crashed into the kitchen table, Dick had the knife pressed against the intruder´s neck, a knee on top of his chest.

“Don't. Move,” he said to the figure… the man underneath him. The only answer he got was bright blue eyes widening, a body going still. It was enough for now. He had other things to worry about. “Conner?” he called out.

“… Dick?”

That was his name. That was Conner’s voice. The man picking himself up amidst the broken table hadn’t spoken.

Dick felt chills down his spine. “Conner?” he repeated.

“I'm fine,” Conner said, just as the man underneath him spoke as well, “Yes, it’s me! It’s me, Dick!”

Dick froze. His eyes narrowed, and he dug his knee even deeper into the intruder’s chest. He didn’t stop until the man grunted, and when he did, Dick took a moment to really look at him. Male. Early twenties. Messy black hair falling longer and in waves over his eyes. The curve of his lips and nose were familiar. And those bright and light blue eyes… Dick had seen them for the first time seven years ago. Nowadays, he saw them every night and every morning when he woke up next to—

“Conner, I think we might have another clone on our hands,” Dick said, then very slowly pulled the knife away and rolled off to one side.

Conner—both Conners?— relaxed slightly when Dick sat down on the floor and put the knife down. Conner got up and walked towards them. The intruder jumped to his feet. Dick was about to stand up too, but before he could, the two of them held out their hands for him to take. It was a synchronized move even if it was involuntary. Both hands pulled back when they realized what had happened.

Dick eyed both hands before scooting back and getting up on his own. “I thought Cadmus was completely gone and there were no other clones around,” he said.

“There are not,” Conner said, voice quiet. Dick frowned, then looked them over, wondering if he’d exaggerated and there weren’t two Superboys in front of him.

No, he hadn’t been wrong. From the suspicious glances they were currently giving each other to the feet apart and fists at their side, they looked like two sides of the very same coin.

Was this… Match, having finally learned control? Had he burst out of his hidden pod? Was that even possible without the help of someone on the outside?

“This is not Match,” Conner spoke as if he’d read Dick’s mind.

“I am not Match, whoever that is,” the intruder confirmed with an undignified scoff. He crossed his arms, leather jacket and tight shirt underneath stretching over his chest. “My name is Conner. Conner Kent.”

“No, you can't be. You’re not. _I’m_ Conner Kent. You must be another one of Lex´s clones,” Conner said.

Dick didn’t say anything. Instead, he reached for the tablet he’d left on top of one of their kitchen counters. He’d been examining new data before Conner had swooped in and started their fiery kissing session before breakfast.

Frowning, he tapped down on the tablet. He pulled up the maps he’d been working on last night, the security cameras placed around their house. He even got a thermal image of the area above their house. The hotspot wasn’t there anymore.

There was another scoff. Dick kept tapping, eyes raking over the screen and every new bit information he got as the seconds ticked by. Eventually, Conner almost growled, “Dick, who is he? I can see him trying not to lash out. I am not going to let him destroy anything else inside the house, much less hurt you.”

There was a growl, then another curse. Debris crunched under heavy boots. Dick’s head snapped up, and he dashed forward out of reflex. The intruder’s fist stopped an inch away from his face when he stepped between the two Conner…s.

“Put your fist down and take a step back,” Dick said, voice empty. He held up a hand when he heard Conner move behind him. “You crashed into our house out of nowhere, attacked us and can't calm down. Don’t make this worse for yourself by attacking me too.”

It took a few seconds for the intruder to process the warning. When he did, all the color drained from his face. He dropped his fist. He even took a few steps back, looking appalled. “I would never… Dick… I would never… harm you. You know that, don’t you?”

His demeanor had changed so fast that it almost gave him whiplash. Dick could feel Conner’s confusion as well. He cleared his throat. “I don’t know that because I don’t know you… but I want to believe you. So please. Step back and refrain from any other display of violence until we figure out who you are.”

The clone stepped back without even blinking. He raised his hands to show himself unarmed. His eyes were wide, and there was a desperate edge to them. “Of course. I’ll stay right here. I won’t hurt you. I would never, never, never harm you,” he repeated, and this time, it sounded more like a vow.

Conner came to step up besides Dick, arms crossed. Dick took a deep breath, then turned to face him. “Keep him occupied, I need to check a couple of things,” he said, then dashed for the stairs.

* * *

**°°°°°**

This had gotten out of hand. Way out of hand. How had they let it get to this point? Hadn’t the kids been on it a few days before? And speaking of which, where on Earth were they?

Kon took a look around. The city below him was calm. The sky surrounding him was the clear and bright blue it had always been. Except there were some openings here and there. Or rather, there were a lot of openings. They glowed black and blue, and he still had no idea what they were. The only thing he knew was that there were many more than on the last image the kids he'd seen.

Damian’s voice came through his ear comm. “How many do you see from your position?”

Kon pushed himself higher on the sky. When that didn’t turn out to be enough, he flew farther away from the buildings to get a better view. He did a quick count.

“Fifteen,” he said.

Damian clicked his tongue. “I’m getting nineteen heat signals.”

“So another four are going to show up any time now.”

“I believe so.”

“Has anything… come out of them? Has someone fallen through? Are they raising the temperature or messing with the tides? What the heck are they?”

“If I knew that I wouldn’t have pulled the Titans from the case and asked you to come and take a look,” Damian said. He sounded bitter. Big surprise.

“Look at you being the younglings’ overprotective mentor. Your dad would be proud,” Kon breathed. One of the… openings had started glowing more than the others. It was still a very unusual yet inoffensive gash in the sky, but the stronger glow probably meant something, right? He figured it did, so by the time Damian answered, he’d already flown closer to the particular opening.

“I am not in the mood for this, Kent. Can you get any closer and see if you can provide me any useful information?”

“One step ahead of you.” Was it his imagination or was the glow getting stronger the closer he got to it? Maybe it had always been this bright and he was just noticing because no one had wanted to get so close. Or maybe…

“It’s sucking air in,” he said. He held his arm towards the… whatever it was. The sleeve of his jacket began billowing, and he could feel the strength to the current. It wasn’t strong, but if he let it, it would pull his arm inside.

A heartbeat of silence, followed by another one of Damian’s trademark ‘tsk’s. “How strong is it?”

“Not enough to cause trouble, but more than an AC, I guess. It might be worse if we don't—” He trailed off as the air current grew stronger from one second to the other. Strong enough his arm was now being pulled into the opening.

Under other circumstances, he might have been alarmed. Having his arm sucked into a floating vacuum in the sky wasn’t something he was used to, and he’d been through and seen enough since making his public debut years ago. This time, though, his curiosity won over the self-preservation he’d worked hard to build in recent years.

He flew closer, then lowered himself several inches, just enough to be able to peer inside.

Huh. Why was he not surprised to see nothing but the black and white of space and stars inside?

“Hey, Robin,” he said.

“What is it?”

“Looks like we’ve got some portals hanging above the city.”

Damian was quiet for a few seconds. Then he cursed in what Kon now recognized as Arabic. “… So that’s what they are. Can you see inside? Is anything coming this way?”

Nothing but space seemed to lie on the other side. Not from where he was looking anyway.

“Can you track me?” he replied.

“Of course.”

“Cool. Don't lose my signal. I’m going in for recon.” He didn’t wait for Damian to reply. Instead, he took a deep breath and dove inside.

**°°°°°**

* * *

Kon’s head had never hurt so much.

What had started out as a mild throbbing between his eyes had now expanded to a full-blown pounding all the way to the back of his head. He didn’t know if it was the result of falling through what he now knew was portal, his confusion or his overwhelming surprise at seeing Dick.

Dick Grayson. In the flesh. Gosh, how long had it been? Three, four years? Sure, this wasn’t… the Dick he knew… but…

“Here you go.”

Kon turned his attention from Dick pacing in the living room and talking into a phone to the man placing a couple of pills and a glass of juice in front of him. The man who shared his name and who looked so much like him yet nothing alike. Were they really the same person? If this was another dimension, or universe, or whatever the hell was going on, Kon figured it was… possible.

He’d heard about multi-dimensional traveling since he came out of his pod. People at LexCorp tended to have conversations about other dimensions every now and again. He’d even been present during a meeting in which Lex heard proposals for the development of a portal. He’d never paid a lot of attention to corporate stuff back in the day, and he hadn’t connected the dots until he’d gone into the portal. Lex was going to lose what hair he had left in his body if he found out portals were created naturally instead of in a lab.

Because the one he’d gone through had appeared out of its own volition, hadn’t it?

His doppelganger cleared his throat, forcing Kon to look at him as he sat in the chair in front of him. He looked quite uncomfortable.

“Are we really the same person?” Kon asked. He swallowed the pills, downed the juice just as fast.

“I don't know. I’m probably as confused as you are right now.”

“I’m not confused,” Kon said. When the man in front of him raised an eyebrow he added, “My head is killing me, but I know what happened before I came crashing through your ceiling, and I know I’m not home.”

“How can you be so sure?”

Kon’s eyes slid once more over to Dick’s figure in the living room. He couldn’t, or rather, didn’t want to help it. He watched the graceful and lean figure pace back and forth in the living room like a caged animal. He watched his serious expression, tried to catch snippets of his words, not because he cared about the conversation, more because he wanted to hear Dick’s voice.

“He’s Nightwing, right?” he asked, voice soft.

His lookalike frowned harder. “You’re not answering my question.”

“You’re not answering mine either… Uh, what should I call you?”

“What do you usually go by?”

And they were back to answering a question with another one of their own. Kon let out an exasperated sigh, then decided he might as well take the first step. Just for the sake of his own throbbing head.

“My legal name is Conner Kent, but Clark did give me a Kryptonian name, so I tend to go by Kon,” he said.

A small smile appeared on the other man’s face. “Kon-El.”

“I guess you also have that name, huh.”

“I do, but I go by Conner. I had the name for years before Kal gave me the Kryptonian one.”

Kon nodded, then frowned. “Years?”

Conner shrugged. “Our relationship wasn’t the best when we first met. I hope it was better on… your end? Your world? Time period? I don't know what to call it.”

“I think 'world' is a pretty good choice unless this is some sort of dream and I’m stuck somewhere in space,” Kon said. “I know this isn't where I come from, at the very least.”

“You seem so sure about that.”

“I am.” His eyes, inevitably, went to Dick once again. He had hung up the phone, but he was still distracted with a tablet. He was still pacing. That was something the Dick he knew couldn’t do anymore.

Conner opened his mouth, closed it and opened it once more. He seemed at a loss for words. Kon couldn’t remember ever being speechless, but he gave him time.

“Are you all right?” Conner finally said, which wasn’t what he was expecting, but it did raise an interesting question. Headache aside, was he all right?

He leaned back in his chair, tilted his head towards the roof and let out a long breath. He felt… okay. Sure, the throbbing of his head hadn’t gotten better yet, but he wasn’t scared. He didn’t feel lost. If anything, he was quite surprised of where his little adventure had gotten him.

“I’m fine,” he said, then chuckled. “If I’d landed somewhere else I might not be, but the fact that I ended up crashing into my doppelganger’s house gives me a sense of safety, I think.” He was also sure Dick had a lot to do with how calm he felt. Dick had always meant something positive for him at home. Until Dick's life got ruined, that is.

Before either of them could say anything else, there was a shout: “I’ve got pretty much nothing!”

Dick came into the kitchen not five seconds later, nose pinched between his fingers. His eyes were closed, his expression troubled.

Kon was on his feet and grabbing Dick’s elbow in a flash, as if steadying him. However, Dick hadn’t needed stabilizing in the first place, if his sudden stillness was any indication.

Slowly, Dick opened his eyes. He gave Kon a once over, then gave Kon’s hand on his elbow a long stare. Kon could feel his face starting to burn up.

“I’m sorry,” he said. He pulled back, shoved his hands into his pockets. Dick didn’t relax.

“_Right_.” He turned his attention to Conner. “As I said, I’ve got nothing. I contacted the Watchtower and the Cave. No warning sign, no sudden change in the world’s atmosphere. The only noticeable thing is that after he came through the hotspot, they all disappeared.”

“They’re not hotspots,” Kon said.

Dick wrinkled his nose, gave him another once over. “Magical portals? Interdimensional doors?” he tried again.

Kon nodded. “I think that’s what they are, yeah.”

Dick crossed his arms, his expression almost a pout. “Where do you come from, then?”

Kon felt his heart skip a beat. His lips twitched. “Where am I?”

“Where should you be?”

“Where do you think I should be?”

The pout became more prominent, and he couldn’t help laughing. A chair moved, and Conner came to stand closer to them, shaking his head.

“Dick hates the answering a question with another one thing more than I do,” he said. Kon could see the ghost of a smile. “And I have an idea. Why don't you both sit down so we can shoot endless questions at each other? Dick, if we’ve got nothing so far, Kon can provide us useful information and we can work through the biggest problem here.”

“What problem?” Kon inquired.

Conner blinked, then pointed upwards as if that explained everything.

Apparently, to Dick, it did.

“Oh hell,” he groaned.

Feeling stupid, Kon asked again, “What problem?”

Dick groaned again. Conner pointed upwards again. “Well,” he began. “If all those hotspots were portals, you could have gone back home through any of them. Except we didn’t think of that sooner, and now they’re gone, which means—”

_Oh._

“I’m stuck here,” Kon finished.

Crap.

* * *

**°°°°°**

Clark took him to Titans Tower without much of an explanation. It was understandable, Kon supposed, that after what had happened last week with Pa’s tractor, Clark wanted to take him out of Smallville for a little while. Kon hadn’t meant to freeze the whole vehicle in front of their next-door neighbors, but he had, and there was no going back. Kon couldn’t hold it against Clark, much less Ma and Pa. What he’d done hadn’t been discreet, and the Kents had Clark’s and his identities to protect. It did make sense that Clark would ask him to accompany him somewhere far until things cooled down.

Kon understood that part. What he didn’t understand was why Clark then wanted him to leave with a babysitter.

“I am not a babysitter,” Kory said, letting out a laugh. The sound was as lovely as she was, all six-foot-four of her. Lovely, sexy, absolutely stunning and other words ran through Kon’s head as he smirked and tilted his head back to meet her bright green eyes. Gosh, she was beautiful.

“Yes you are, but if it’s you Clark is leaving me with, I won't complain too much,” he said, giving her a wink that only made her laugh again. Oh, Kon loved her already.

“Kon,” Clark chastised. He looked mildly horrified.

“What?”

“Kory is not a babysitter. She’s the current leader of the Teen Titans, the people you’re going to stay with.”

“Hey, as long as I get to have a room near her, I really won't complain.”

Kory managed to hold back her laughter to shoot him a warm and amused glance. “Clark did tell me you were too much of a flirt for your young age.”

“Oh, I’m old enough, don't you worry about that.”

Clark groaned. Kon grinned triumphantly. He did enjoy being an absolute tease with all the people he met, but in this case, he was doing it more to make Clark uncomfortable. That was always tons of fun.

“Koriand’r, why didn’t you let us know the member was here?” a voice said. Kory stepped to one side to let a short figure through. Kon recognized the green and red suit.

“Robin has a babysitter too?” he asked, incredulous.

Robin stopped in his tracks, jerked as if he’d been slapped. “Excuse me?” came the curt and angry reply.

Kory sighed, placed her hands on Robin’s shoulders. “Damian, don't start anything,” she said, but Robin had already started something: “Superman, what is the meaning of this? The Teen Titans will not take in any insolent little children that aren’t willing to show some actual respect.”

“Look who’s talking,” another voice said. The words were followed by several good-natured laughs and three more people appearing behind Robin. Kon didn’t recognize any of them.

“Right, now that we are all here,” Kory said. She motioned towards the others as she spoke. “Now that we are all here. Kon-El, welcome to the Teen Titans. These are your future teammates. Damian, Jaime, Rachel, Garfield, this is Kon-El, Superboy. He will be joining us for a little while.”

“Welcome to the daycare center,” the Rachel, said with a snort.

“Nap time is mandatory after two in the morning,” Jaime said.

“And don't forget about the playroom. We learn how to use our bodies and are allowed pointy toys in there,” Garfield added.

Clark and Damian looked dismayed. Kory shook her head. Kon grinned, hefted his bag over his shoulder and turned to Clark. “Thanks for dropping me off.”

“Wait. I didn’t bring you here to—”

But Kon was already flying away from the group and towards the very impressive building. It didn’t take long until there were footsteps behind him and the rest of the… what had Clark called them? Ah yes. It didn’t take long for the Teen Titans to catch up to him.

Less than an hour later, Kon had made new friends and had settled into his room. Clark had left by now, Kory had once again welcomed him, and now, Kon was busy raiding the kitchen. He’d been willing to join training immediately, but since Kory had told him to take the day and make himself at home, that was exactly what he was doing.

“We can make do with this,” he announced to the empty kitchen, nodding at all the ingredients he’d laid out on one of the counters. He’d already checked the oven, found out it worked, and he’d decided he was going to cook some early dinner for himself and everyone else. Ma had made sure to teach him the basics of cooking the moment he moved in with them. This was as good a time as any to feed himself and also show off to his new housemates.

He took his jacket off, pulled his shirt up to his elbows and went to wash his hands. It was still quite early. He had more than enough time to cook at his heart’s leisurely pace.

Not fifteen minutes later, a voice he hadn’t heard yet called his name. “Superboy?”

Kon raised his head to address whoever had called. However, when he saw the man standing in front of him, the words died in his throat.

The first thing he noticed was the tight black and blue suit encasing a lithe male body that Kon could only dream of having if he ever grew up. Next, he noticed the white and wide smile, the sparkling blue eyes and wavy black hair. Finally, he noticed all those things, and he found himself unable to speak. Kory was the epitome of beauty, there was no doubt about that… but Kon was damned if this man wasn’t a close second.

He opened his mouth to speak, but only a garbled sound came out. The stepped further into the kitchen. “You are Superboy, aren’t you? Clark said he would drop his Superboy either today or tomorrow.”

Kon nodded.

The man’s pretty lips curved into a smile. “Welcome aboard the Teen Titans. I’m Dick Grayson, occasional visitor, permanent backup, Damian’s personal nightmare, and by that I mean I'm his loving older brother.”

Dick Grayson. Kon knew that name. Clark talked about Dick now and then, especially when Bruce came over to the farm for dinner. Clark also talked about Dick because he liked to share with Kon the story of how Dick Grayson had left the mantle of Robin behind.

“Nightwing,” Kon murmured.

“Yeah, that’s me too. Here at the tower, call me Dick.” Dick, domino mask in hand, walked closer and offered him his hand. “What’s your civilian name?”

A thousand scenarios passed through Kon’s head. Should he shake Dick’s hand to be polite? Should he take the hand and pull him in for a hug or should he kiss the gloved hand? Which one would be more charming? Did he want to be charming, or polite? Or did he want to flirt with this gorgeous man, hoping he would return the favor?

Darn, the last option sounded so appealing.

“_Hng_,” he said. Lamely.

Dick’s other eyebrow went up. “Is that a Kryptonian name?” His tone was light, playful. Kon could feel a blush coming. Sure right then Dick might not see him a more than the new kid at the tower, but oh, Kon could imagine how fun it would be to reply with the same sass and wait for Dick to strike back. Because he would, no doubt about it.

“Uh,” he tried again. He tried to clear his throat and pick his dignity up from the floor. It took another two efforts before he could utter actual words. “Conner. Kon-El, but you can call me…” the rest didn’t make it out of his throat. His face was burning. There was a knot in his stomach. Holy moly. He was flustered.

Dick took pity on him. Instead of laughing or waiting for him to finish, he nodded and pulled his hand back. The smile hadn’t faded. Kon couldn’t stop staring like an idiot.

“All right, Kon-El. Welcome to the Teen Titans. Clark only said you were here to control a new power of yours and until the metaphorical fire dies down.”

Kon nodded.

“If I may ask, what did you do?”

He opened his mouth to reply. No sound came out. He kicked himself inside. Hard. It seemed to help a bit.

“Ice breath,” he mumbled. “Froze Pa’s tractor. Neighbors were there. They saw.”

Kon expected some sort of scolding. What came out of Dick’s mouth was an incredulous snort. “That’s it?” He placed his hand on Kon’s shoulders, who could swear his body tingled down to the soles of his feet. “Sounds like you’ll be out of the daycare center in no time, then.”

It should have cheered him up. It should have felt encouraging because he was sure Dick said it to lift his mood. Instead, Kon’s stomach dropped.

If Dick hung around here often, Kon wasn’t sure he wanted to leave soon.

**°°°°°**

* * *

The Martian, M’gann was her name, was looking at him oddly.

Kon shifted in his seat. He crossed his arms. He shifted again. The Martian’s gaze didn’t waver.

“Remind me why we’re doing this?” he asked no one in particular. Or rather, he asked Dick, who stood off to one side with Conner and a blonde woman named Artemis in the middle of a cave. Conner and Dick had warped him there a little while ago, informing him they needed to make sure of one last thing.

Artemis pressed her palm against her cheek. She appeared to be for lack of a better word, mystified. “He’s identical to Conner, except he’s not,” she whispered.

“You’ve seen Match,” Conner said dryly.

“Well yeah, but he’s different. He’s… you, way angrier than you ever were.” She nodded in Kon’s direction. “He’s… not you, but at the same time… he’s like the fun version of you.”

“Hey.”

“I can hear you,” Kon said. His tone was just as dry as Conner’s, and he heard Artemis give a thoughtful hum. He sighed, focused back on Dick and reworded his question. “What did I agree to do, again?” he asked.

Dick crossed his arms, frowned. “M’gann is going to use her powers to access your mind and share with us the information we need.”

“I will gladly answer any questions you have, Dick. I’m not your enemy. I told you, I would never hurt you.” He might have said the last with more vehemence than necessary if Dick’s wince was anything to go by.

There was a rather heavy and awkward silence. Kon glanced at Dick, then averted his eyes. He fisted his hands in his lap and took a deep breath. This was not the Dick he knew. This Dick did not need help. This was not the Dick whose life he’d ruined.

But if that was the case, why did he feel such a strong urge to reassure this Dick that he wasn’t his enemy at all?

His head began hurting again. He let out a soft groan that echoed in the enormous cave.

There was silence for a few more minutes, and then Artemis spoke. “So that’s how it is.” She pointed at Conner. “Tell me this isn't the first time he’s done it since he crashed into your kitchen.”

Conner seemed to understand what she was referring to right away, but he took a moment to think about it. After reaching some sort of conclusion, he shook his head. “It’s not. I wasn’t sure if it was my imagination or not, though.”

Artemis hummed. Dick rubbed at his forehead. Kon threw his hands into the air. “Will you stop talking about me as if I’m not here? I can hear everything you say, and as the very real person that I am, it sucks. I’m not a clone of Conner. I am Conner.”

“One that will only address and answer to Dick?” Artemis questioned.

“I talked to myself back at the house! We asked questions and got zero answers over a sandwich! I’m answering you now!”

“You do seem to focus a lot on Dick,” M’gann pointed out, almost shy.

Kon turned to glare at her and opened his mouth to reply, not in a very polite way. However, he hadn’t uttered even a word before the harsh truth hit him hard.

His shoulders drooped. His brow furrowed. Was he going to try and deny it, when it hadn’t taken him long back home to accept a very similar situation?

“I suppose I do have a soft spot for Dick Grayson,” he admitted.

“Interesting,” Artemis said again. There was an ‘oof’, followed by a grumble, then Dick’s voice rang out.

“All right, let’s do this quickly so we can start working on solving this… interdimensional problem. Conn— uh, Kon-El, are you ready?

Kon turned to M’gann. “Are you going to rape my mind in search of information?”

Even though her skin was white, Kon could have sworn she paled. “No. Of course not.”

“I don't mean to be rude. I’m only asking so I know what to expect.”

“I’ll sync all our minds with yours. This way we can all get the same information at the same time in the same way. You might feel a slight fluttering, like someone turning pages on a book or looking for a file in a cabinet full of them, and please try to stay relaxed and...” she struggled for a word.

“Open-minded?” he finished, a smile starting to form. Someone on the side snorted.

M’gann, on the other hand, looked relieved. “Yes, I would appreciate it if you cooperate. It will make it easier for both of us, and I won't look into anything other than your most recent memories, you have my word.”

Kon unclenched his fists, rolled his shoulders. He gave a nod, then closed his eyes. “Go ahead,” he said.

There was no verbal answer. Instead, he felt a sudden pressure against his forehead, which then transformed into the feeling of a lock being pulled into place. Soon after, he felt the riffles M’gann had mentioned. It was as light as the beating of a butterfly’s wings, subtle enough that if he hadn’t been paying attention, he might have missed it.

No sooner had he thought that, the fluttering stopped, although it was replaced by a series of tugs with visuals attached to them.

The images began playing like a roll of film behind Kon’s eyes:

_Titans Tower, two weeks ago. He and Damian stand in the middle of the common room, studying the maps on the monitors. Behind them, Kid Flash, Red Arrow, Djinn and Crush do the same. Kid Flash comments on the sky turning into a slice of Swiss cheese. No one laughs. Damian clicks his tongue. Djinn assures them they’ll keep a very careful eye on whatever is opening up in the sky. She assures them the Titans will take care of it. Kon wonders for the hundredth time if leaving the kids alone in the tower had been a good idea._

_Dingy building in Metropolis, two days ago. Damian speaks into his comm as Kon punches a guy in the jaw and proceeds to throw him at the coming two. Damian continues to inform him about the increase in thermal signals and the openings in the sky. Nothing dangerous has occurred yet. The Titans are supposed to be handling it but nothing has been done to investigate or counter the problem. Kon hums his affirmatives, drops the three now-unconscious men into the nearest dumpster and flies into the building to catch the rest. Damian tells him to meet him at the tower tomorrow. They will deal with the situation themselves. Kon tells him he’ll be there._

_Titans Tower, yesterday. Kon stands in the middle of the doorway of the common area, waiting for Damian to finish one of his intense and harsh sermons. Crush and Red Arrow look annoyed. Djinn doesn’t seem to care. Wally seems ready to bolt, which is the whole reason Kon is there in the first place. When the sermon comes to an end, Damian dismisses them. Kon stays with him, and fifteen minutes later Kon is finally in the air, getting closer to one of the openings and flying through it._

The roll film stopped flowing. Once again, he felt the butterfly’s wings inside his head. The pressure on his forehead reappeared. The metaphorical lock popped open, and when he opened his eyes, there were no more riffles, only the comfort of his thoughts inside his mind.

“Wow,” he said. “Did all of you see and feel that?”

"We don’t get to feel all the emotions while there’s a psychic link established, but we do get visuals and sound,” Conner replied. His expression was sober. “You have a Kid Flash.”

“Yeah, Wally. He’s the second Kid Flash. They have the same name but the first Kid Flash was around during Dick’s—” he stopped, turned to M’gann. “The mental link is closed, right?”

She nodded. Kon breathed out in relief. He did not want any of them inside his head as Dick’s name made its way into his mind once again, and the mere mention of him started a train of thought he was used to by now but that hadn’t become easier to block no matter how many times he’d had it.

Everyone around him seemed to wait for him to go on. Dick’s gaze was especially intense, almost interrogating. Kon didn’t want to be the target of that stare.

“Do you need me here for anything else right now?” he asked.

“Why?” Artemis asked.

“I… I need some fresh air.” The four of them exchanged glances, then M’gann made a ‘go-ahead motion’. Kon shot to his feet and headed for the closest exit.

He’d already made it to the beach and had sat down when he heard footsteps behind him. Conner sat down next to him a few seconds later.

“The Titans,” Conner said. Kon hadn’t heard a more awkward conversation starter before.

“Teen Titans, actually. Do you have Titans here? Are you or were you one?”

Conner shakes his head. “I hadn’t heard of the Teen Titans until now. It’s a great name. We go by… the team here.”

Kon paused, mulled that over. When he made sense of those words, he snorted. “’The Team’, are you serious?”

“It’s a much simpler and inconspicuous name if you ask me.”

“Boring is what it is. I mean, Teen Titans is kind of childish but at least we could call ourselves Titans, which sounds even cooler.”

“You could? You mean you aren’t a Teen Titan anymore?”

Careless of him to not consider Conner a careful observer. Kon was one when he needed to be, although not on a daily basis. A notable difference, he supposed.

“I left the Titans about four years ago. Damian did too,” he explained.

“Robin.”

“He’s been wanting to change his name for a while too. Says he’s too old to keep on being Robin. I find it funny. I mean, look at me, two years older than him and I’m not complaining about still being Superboy.”

“How old are you?”

“Mentally, biologically, or year-wise?”

Conner barked out a laugh. “Age is a mess on your end as well, huh?”

Kon chuckled. “It’s been ten years since I came out of the pod,” he began. “My body doesn’t age as it should, so I’m told I look eighteen or nineteen, but I started out looking and thinking like a fifteen-year-old. Nowadays, I consider myself to be twenty-five, twenty-six in a few months. What about you?”

Conner tilted his head back, hummed. “Let’s see. I was taken out of the pod seven years ago. I looked and thought like I was sixteen. According to a lot of people, I look eighteen tops. When people ask, I tell them I’m twenty-three.”

“So I’m older,” Kon declared.

Conner gave him a look. “If those clothes and your attitude are anything to go by, I doubt that.”

“That’s a very low blow, Kent. My super suit is awesome.”

“The fact that you wear a super suit in the first place is concerning.”

Kon burst out laughing. He motioned towards Conner’s black shirt with the red logo on it. “Don't tell me that’s what you wear to battle.”

“Different pants, different boots. The shirt is lighter too.”

“Like I said: boring.”

Conner rolled his eyes. Kon shot him a wink, and the two of them shared another laugh. Kon settled some more against the sand. Conner went back to being awkward by clearing his throat and saying, “So… you left the Titans.”

“Twenty-two seemed a bit too old to still be hanging around a bunch of teens as another member of the team instead of a mentor, at the very least. Besides, while the Titans are independent, they’ve always got ‘adult supervision’ of some kind. Damian and I decided to leave the team and work on our own.”

“But you still worry about the Teen Titans.”

“Well, obviously. They’re kids who do need a little push every once in a while. Damian and I don't meddle anymore, not as much as we did the first year after we left the team.”

“Who is this Damian? The two of you seem to be good friends,” Conner said.

Kon pursed his lips. Now, how much more could he say about Damian? This wasn’t his world or his time, and he had seen enough movies about time-travel to know explaining everything wasn’t always the best idea.

“I’m not sure how much I can tell you,” Kon admitted. “You don’t have a Damian around here, do you?”

“Not that I know of.”

“But if Dick is Nightwing, that means someone else must be Robin.”

“His brother. Tim.”

“Huh. I don't know any Tim back home, but Damian is Dick’s brother in my world, so there’s that. And we are pretty good friends. He’s hell on wheels, and if it hadn’t been for Dick, I probably wouldn’t have put in the effort to get close to Damian”

Conner’s eyebrows climbed up. “Oh?”

Kon figured he could tell his other self at least this much. the familiarity between them, plus fact that both Dick and Conner moved around the place like they both owned it made him connect the dots pretty quick. If someone could understand the reason behind he was about to say, it was probably Conner.

“Dick left me speechless the moment I met him. He was my first love, and it took me years to actually realize that. Even before I could put what I felt into coherent words, I knew I wanted to be close to him. Damian was his brother. In my mind, it made sense to be close to Damian. It meant I could be closer to Dick. He’s always been… so darn pretty.” As he finished talking, he noticed Conner nodding a few times.

“It also took me a long time to realize he’d been my first love,” Conner offered in a very quiet voice.

“But you’re together now.”

“Yeah, we’ve been dating for about three years, living together for two.”

Kon huffed. He brought his knees to his chest. “Well, didn’t you turn out to be the lucky clone,” he mumbled to his thighs.

Conner started dragging his shoe through the sound. “I take it you and the Dick from your world are not… together.”

“Nope.”

“But you still… love him?”

“More than I should, yeah.”

Once more, Conner hesitated. “What happened?” he asked.

Kon rolled his eyes. “Where do you want me to start? Me finding out Dick had a steady girlfriend and that I was making a fool of myself? Me ruining his life? Me trying to get over him by doing an awful lot of things? Did I already mention I ruined his life?”

Conner grimaced. “Do you want to… talk about it?”

“Not really, no.”

“That’s all right, then. You don't have to tell me, but I doubt you ruined his life.”

Kon shook his head. “That’s what everybody says, but I know what I did,” he whispered. He didn’t say anything else, and Conner didn’t push. Instead, he hesitated, then nodded and got to his feet.

“Come back inside after you’ve gotten enough air. Dick is already working on how to get you back to your world.”

“He’s that desperate to get rid of me?”

“He hasn’t gotten over his surprise, and I would think you of all people know how distrusting the Bats are overall.”

Kon nodded. “Fair point. I’ll go back inside in a few minutes, then.”

Conner patted his shoulder, headed back inside. Kon decided to stay right where he was for more than a few minutes. He figured no one would mind, and if they did… well, too bad for them.

* * *

**°°°°°**

Why it had taken him nearly two months to notice, Kon would never know. Had he been blinded by hormones the moment he’d met Dick? The answer to that was probably, although it didn’t excuse his sheer denseness or his teammates’ silence. Because they had to have known, right?

One of them could have said something before he came face to face with this, couldn’t they?

Feeling his face heat up with a nearly nauseating shame, Kon tore his gaze away from Dick and Kory in the living room, a place they’d taken over for the past two hours. They’d just returned from a mission and after Kory had adjourned their team briefing, she and Dick had stayed behind to discuss boring technical things. They were still discussing something related to the mission, Kon managed to hear, but judging by Kory’s head in his lap and the loving hand he kept running through her hair, they’d gotten more comfortable since the rest of the team had left.

It didn’t take a genius to connect the dots, and Kon kicked himself hard for not connecting them sooner. Of course Dick came to visit only when Kory was in the tower, of course they were each other’s chosen partner for sparring, of course the way they talked and acted around each other had always been too familiar.

Yeah, he was feeling dumb and sort of heartbroken now.

Turning on his heel, Kon stalked down the hall. He almost stopped in front of his room, then thought better about it and pretty much flew down another couple of halls.

He didn’t realize he’d been holding his breath until he was inside the training room.

Damian, angry, sweaty and too pouty for a thirteen-year-old, glared at him the moment he stepped in. He didn’t lower the sword he’d been fighting the holograms with.

“Hey, Damian,” Kon greeted. He sounded artificially cheerful even to his own ears.

“Kent.” Damian glared. “You are not supposed to come inside the training room if there is someone else using it.”

“Ah, yeah. I mean… yeah, I know.”

“Yet you still came inside during my session.”

“Uh. Sorry about that. I was a bit distracted… but don't worry. I’ll get out of your hair soon.” Kon offered his usual confident smile, then moved towards the door. He wasn’t in the mood to fight with Damian, and he wanted to be alone, so it really was better if he left.

The door had slid open when Damian huffed and said, “You are welcome to stay and take the place of these basic holograms. I still need to practice.”

Kon thought about it. Alone, he’d said he wanted to be alone, hadn’t he? But why hadn’t he stopped in his room in the first place? Oh, right, because he wanted to let out some physical energy before his mind could fully process what he’d just seen.

He closed his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. He counted to ten. When he was done, he took another deep breath and nodded.

“Give me all you’ve got,” he said, taking off his jacket and launching his body into the air. Damian gave an actual, wicked grin, then pointed the sword at him.

“Like I would ever hold back,” he said.

Kon grinned, pushed himself into the air and gave him a ’go-ahead’ gesture. Damian lunged forward. Kon did the same.

They stopped sparring nearly an hour later, and only because Damian’s legs gave out from under him. Had his body moved out of willpower and not actual and physical energy, Kon was sure Damian would go on for at least another three hours.

“I think that’s enough,” he said, hovering behind Damian and sliding his hands under his arms. Damian growled, cursed in a language and struggled much like a wild cat. Kon lifted him anyway and flew him out the training room and down several halls to his own bedroom.

“Let me go!” Damian screamed for the umpteenth time, all while kicking and trying to wiggle free. Given they were now right in front of the door, Kon dumped him on his butt. If it hurt, Damian’s expression didn’t show it.

“There you go. See if you can crawl by yourself into your room then,” he said.

Damian glared up at him, but it wasn’t the same glare Kon had received his first day at the tower. It was slightly less lethal, a tiny bit warmer and not as hateful. Kon supposed this was the result of trying to be his friend for the past two months. Sure, Kon had decided to face the demon spawn in hopes of getting tidbits of information about Dick because he was too much of a chicken to ask Dick himself, but somewhere along the way, Kon could admit he had learned to like the kid.

“Take a shower, get some rest,” Kon said.

“Don't tell me what to do!”

“Then don't do anything about it and relish in your pain.”

“You are so disgusting, Kent.”

Kon shrugged, gave him a mock salute and proceeded to move down the hall. He’d almost made it around the corner when Damian spoke.

“You do not seem mad anymore, or not as mad as when you came inside the training room. I assume sparring was also useful for you.”

Kon came to a halt. His eyes widened, and he turned around very slowly, just enough to see Damian pushing to his feet and leaning against the wall. “What?” he asked. He must have heard wrong.

Damian’s glare intensified. “You heard me,” he snapped.

Oh. Interesting. Kon hadn’t expected to notice anything about his mood when he stepped in, much less had he expected Damian to care.

Kon could… appreciate the effort.

“I do feel better,” he admitted after a few seconds.

Damian gave a nod. “I have no desire to know what caused your apparent bad mood, but if sparring helped, then I am glad we could both get something useful out of it.”

Kon smiled. “Thanks, Damian.”

Damian shook his head, then turned his back on Kon to punch in the code to open his room. Kon watched him go inside, then made his way back to his own room. He stayed there the rest of the afternoon, also a big part of the night. He didn’t come on, not even when Gar, Kory and Jaime came to ask him if he was going to join them for dinner.

Kon creeped out of his room around midnight, once he’d made sure everyone was already in their rooms and away from the common areas. Trying to be silent, he flew all the way to the kitchen with his phone in hand, and once he reached the kitchen, he left the flashlight somewhere high so he could get to preparing himself a meal.

Dick entered the kitchen when Kon was cutting his sandwiches in half.

“I knew I heard somebody,” Dick said by greeting. He was wearing his civvies, which meant he was probably on his way out. He was also smiling. Kon tried not to look at his smile.

“Hey,” was all Kon replied. He finished with his sandwiches, began eating while staring at the jar of jam in front of him. If he stayed quiet, maybe Dick would go away sooner. Usually, Kon would take any opportunity to talk to him and extend those conversations as much as he could, but right now, he preferred being alone.

Was he being ridiculous? Maybe. It wasn’t like he’d caught his significant other kissing or having sex with someone else. Hell, Dick and Kory were a couple, the cute little scene he’d seen was pretty among couples. It hadn’t been indecent, and it’s not like Dick would have even looked at a guy seven years younger than him anyway. Kon’s little infatuation had been damned from the start, hadn’t it? He’d always known it, or at least a part of him had.

In that case, he could at least allow himself a night of quiet, solitude and deep thinking for everything to sink in and for the process of acceptance to start, couldn’t he?

“What’s wrong?”

… Or maybe he couldn’t.

Kon glanced at Dick, saw him stepping further into the kitchen and raising an eyebrow at him. Kon tried to smile, though it might have ended up looking more like a grimace.

“Nothing’s wrong,” he said.

“You don’t look okay, Kon.”

“I am.”

“You didn’t have dinner with the rest of them, and now you’re here sitting in near-absolute darkness and being silent. From what I’ve noticed about you this past couple of months, that’s not the definition of you being okay.”

Huh. So Dick had noticed some things about him? To be honest, he hadn’t expected Dick to pay him any kind of attention. While a part of him tried to take it as a sign of mutual interest, the rational part of him knew it had nothing to do with anything except the mentor-like nature Dick had when it came to all the Titans.

Kon pursed his lips. He sighed, hoping Dick would drop it. It didn’t happen, so Kon decided to get it over as fast as he could.

“I think I’m a bit heartbroken,” he said.

Dick’s other eyebrow went up. “What?” he said.

“Heartbroken. You know, what people are supposed to feel when the person they like doesn't like them back or when a couple breaks up? Then again, I don't think you’re familiar with the feeling. You’re most likely the heartbreaker, aren’t you?” There was no bitterness in his voice, only tiredness, somewhat of an emptiness.

Dick rolled his eyes. “At least another two people have said that to me before, and I don't get why. I’ve had my heart broken once or twice before.”

“And how many hearts have you broken, Dick?” Kon was glad he had managed to at least sound amused this time.

Dick let out a long sigh, laid his elbows on the table where Kon was sitting. He laid his chin in his palms. “We weren’t talking about me, were we? Do you want to share details?”

“Absolutely not.”

“All right. Is the person a jerk, then? Were they an idiot and did something that hurt you and that’s why they broke your heart?”

Kon snorted, made eye contact for a split second. A jerk? Not at all. An idiot? Far from it. Had Dick done something to break his heart? Apart from demonstrating affection to his significant other like most people in a relationship, no, not at all.

“Nothing of the sort,” he said.

Dick stole a piece of sandwich, tilted his head to one side. “I can keep guessing. I love this sort of games, but I'm not good at it, so we might be here for a while.”

Kon rolled his eyes, couldn’t hold back a laugh. Dick had the uncanny ability to lift everybody’s mood, eve after breaking someone’s heart, by the looks of it.

“It’s nothing dramatic,” Kon said with a sigh.

“Then what is it?”

“Something that happens more often than the drama. You like someone, you want to date someone, and that person doesn't know you exist or they’re already taken.”

Dick grimaced. “Ah, so it’s one of _those_ cases.”

Kon nodded.

“And how do you now that person doesn't notice you? And who says they’re always going to be taken? I mean, I'm not saying stick around until something bad happens and then fly in and do something you’d both regret later, but nothing is written in stone, Kon, and you’re still very, very, very young. You’ll still have so many chances to meet new people, and you have time to get over it and see if life offers you another chance with this person.”

How ironic was it that Dick was giving Kon advice related to himself? It was ironic, but also funny. At the same time, it was kind of pitiful. Still, his words made sense, Kon could at least admit to that.

“I know,” Kon said with a sigh. He didn’t doubt he’d get over it eventually, but Dick was sort of his first serious crush, and that made him very special, didn’t it? Kon felt he was special.

Dick’s expression softened, and he reached out to squeeze Kon’s shoulder. “I’m not saying you can't take some time to mourn, by the way. It’s normal to take some time to patch yourself back together.”

Kon nodded.

Dick gave his shoulder another squeeze. “And you can always come and talk to me or anyone else here about it if you want. We’ve all had our fair share of heartbreaks around here… well, except Damian. He’s only in love with his swords, as you’ve noticed, but yeah. If you ever want to talk, talk to me. I’m always willing to listen.”

“Thank you,” Kon replied, and he meant it from the bottom of his heart. Not that he was ever going to talk to Dick about this again, but he could appreciate the advice, the concern and the attempt at helping. Dick was always helpful and friendly. Kon liked that about him, had the feeling he always would, but right now, he wasn’t sure he could handle any more of it.

“Thank you,” he repeated. He downed the rest of his sandwich, sprang to his feet. “I… I got to go. Thanks, Dick,” he finished lamely.

By the time Dick called out to him, Kon had already run down a hall back to his room.

**°°°°°**

* * *

Three days went by before they could even get a hold of Zatanna, who according to Dick and Conner was partially responsible for what happened. At the very least, she could offer some insight into the whole mess.

Kon got to meet the prince and fellow alien living out in Dick and Conner’s backyard after they came back from the Cave, and although they offered him a room inside their alien ship, Kon found out after his first night that living with them wasn't the best idea.

Conner helped him clear out the living room and make it as private as possible the next morning. Dick stayed as far away from Kon as he could that day. Apparently, he was searching for Zatanna or communicating with other people who had some information about the portals. Kon would have believed Dick wasn’t doing it on purpose had it not been for the lack of eye contact Dick gave him whenever they managed to stay in the same room for more than five seconds. Oh, that and Dick getting ready to defend himself whenever Kon dared move in his direction.

Kon didn’t say anything during that second day, deciding to hang around Conner to explore a bit of this world and be useful in any way he could. He also got to talk with the prince and the alien. The prince, in particular, seemed to get a kick out of seeing him and Conner standing together. Conner was way more boring than he had suspected, by the look of it.

On his third day, M’gann and Artemis came to visit and deliver some tips from people who had last seen Zatanna. Dick had gone to the basement on his own soon after, and Kon was left with two very curious women in the kitchen. He’d expected a grilling, and indeed, he got one. However, it was not the type of grilling he had expected. He’d been ready to declare once again that he was harmless and that they could even get into his head again if they wanted to. Artemis and M’gann surprised him by asking him mundane and personal things, from how had he decided on such a cool outfit to how old was he, how many partners he’d had and what was his favorite brand of boots.

“Not going to lie, I sort of want to compare how different you are from our Conner,” Artemis had admitted. “And given he's not home and Dick is in the basement, this is the best time to cross-examine you.”

“From what I’ve seen, we are quite different. I’m not boring,” Kon had said with a grin, and that had earned him a laugh from the two of them.

Sometime after lunch, Kon was alone in the house. Dick hadn’t come back from the basement. Conner had taken the prince and the fellow alien somewhere to train with other people. Kon tried to remember why it hadn’t occurred to him to ask Conner where it was. He didn’t want to be alone in the house, and even though he was tempted to head down to the basement, he was almost a hundred percent sure it wasn’t a good idea.

Pouting, he finished cleaning up the kitchen and went to the living room. He looked around for something to do, and eventually decided he might as well take a quick walk around the neighborhood on his own.

He ran into Dick on the front steps. They would have crashed if he hadn’t been paying enough attention.

“Whoa!” he cried. He flew to one side to avoid hitting Dick, who lowered his tablet and jumped upon hearing his cry. He gave him a blank look, then seemed to notice he was off the ground.

“You can fly?” Kon wasn’t sure if it was a question, but he’d take it as one.

“Is this the first time you notice?” he wanted to ask. Instead, he nodded, raised his body several more inches.

Dick frowned. “Conner can't fly.”

“He told me.”

“Why can you fly?”

“It seems I was luckier than your Conner when it comes to the superpowers department.”

“Like Match.”

“I’m not Match.”

Dick wrinkled his nose. He opened his mouth, closed it without saying anything, but he did let out a very frustrated sound. Kon still remembered enough about the Dick from his world to take a wild guess.

“If something is bothering you, or if there’s something you want to ask, go right ahead,” he said, voice careful.

Dick snapped.

He let out a wordless sound of frustration, then leaned closer to him. He glared. He glared with such intensity Kon flew backward the tiniest distance. Those eyes said it all. He was so angry, but he was also confused.

Kon would bet all he had that Dick was angry because he was confused.

“Who _are_ you?” Dick demanded.

“I’ve already told you who I am.”

“Yes, but it doesn't make any sense! You… you don't make any sense. You can't be Conner. There’s already a Conner here.”

“And I’m not him,” Kon said. Dick clenched his jaw. Kon shrugged. “I know it doesn't sound like the easiest concept to wrap your head around, but that’s the truth. I am Kon-El, the clone of Kal-El and Lex Luthor. I am the Superboy.”

“But Conner…”

“He’s your Superboy, I know. He’s the Superboy from this world, but I am not from this world, Dick.”

Dick, who had seemed ready to explode five seconds ago, seemed to deflate all of a sudden. He swayed, stumbled back, and Kon reached out to grab his wrists without thinking. Dick went tense, but at least this time, he didn’t pull away even after Kon had guided him down to the grass and made sure he was steady on his feet.

“I don't understand,” Dick said. He sounded exhausted. “I don't understand, and I don't know why. We’ve faced the weirdest aliens, we’ve dealt with Fate, we’ve faced Klarion and that time that Captain Marvel changed between worlds…” He shook his head. “I don't know why I can't understand this. You.”

“And the bats, as a rule, don't like things they don't understand, do they?”

Dick snorted. “I guess that’s a common trait for those of us connected to Batman even where you’re from?”

“It might be. The bats I know are as logical and impatient as you.” Kon released his wrists, took a step back. “The Robin I now, in particular, gets mad at things he doesn't understand. The Dick from my world doesn't, but I guess that as Conner and I are different, so are you and him.”

A ghost of a smile appeared on Dick’s face. “What, I’m gentler there?”

“You used to smile a lot more, yeah, and you laughed. Regularly. Must be shocking to hear such a thing?”

“Oh, don't be such a drama king. I laugh a lot here, thank you very much.”

“Do you? Since I got here I haven’t heard or seen you laugh, or maybe you do it when I’m not around? You certainly seem tense when I’m in the same room as you.” Kon stayed quiet for a minute, let what he’d said sink in, then he continued, “Is this the reason? You don't understand me, so that’s why you’ve been avoiding me?”

A long silence. Then a sigh. More silence.

“God, you’re as insightful as he is,” Dick complained. He pressed his palms against his eyes, and Kon guessed he was either counting to ten or just focusing on his breathing. When Dick lowered his palms, he regarded Kon with a much calmer demeanor.

“I’m ready to stop being a more neurotic version of Bruce,” he said.

“Awesome. I was wondering when I’d get the chance to talk to you.”

“You mean dote on me.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “I… have to apologize for my behavior that first day. I shouldn’t have… I thought…”

“I’m not a damsel in this distress. I don't need help to stand up or do the smallest of things.”

Kon winced. “I know that.”

“That doesn't mean I'm invincible either. I know sometimes I need to ask for help, just not—”

“You don't need help to walk from one room to another,” Kon finished.

Dick nodded. “I appreciate it, but it’s not necessary.”

“Yeah, I get it. I… apologize. My attitude didn’t exactly help you feel comfortable.”

Dick gave another nod, then crossed his arms. “Why did you do it, though? I’m sure you’re as polite, well-mannered and as big of a Boy Scout as Conner, but you did seem a bit fixed on me.”

Now, this was tricky territory. Talking about his Dick with Conner was a thing, talking his Dick with this Dick was another one altogether. He hadn’t shared the details with Conner, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to share them with Dick. However, he knew Dick wouldn’t accept a dismissive or vague answer.

“You could say it’s guilt for what I did to the Dick of my world,” he said.

“What do you mean? What did you do?”

“I’ve answered your question, but I won't say any more. It’s a topic I would much rather not discuss, especially with you.” Deciding to change the topic, he added, “I’m going for a walk. Hope you’re okay with it?”

Dick blinked, seemed to remember something, then shook his head. “What? No, no walks right now. I was coming into the house to get you and the others. I’ve located Zatanna, and Bruce helped me dig up more about the other worlds and dimensions. She’s on her way, but we have time to put together a map and some notes about this whole situation before she arrives.”

Kon lowered himself to the ground, gave his surroundings a meaningful glance. “Well, I’m the only one here right now, but if you want me to go get Conner or M’gann or Artemis, I can do it quickly. Artemis did tell me she’d be at the Cave so—”

“No, no, there’s no need. You’re the one who went through the portal, you’ve got the most knowledge so far about this subject. Come on.” Dick beckoned him closer, turned around and headed back to the basement before Kon could even reply. Apparently, there were no arguments allowed, not that Kon would have complained in the first place.

The moment he stepped into the basement, Conner’s huge pet wolf came over to sniff him. He gave a low growl and curled back into his corner. Kon stepped past the giant animal to where Dick was sitting in front of his monitors.

“You must smell the same as Conner,” Dick said, pushing a chair in his direction.

“Lucky me. He looks like he’d swallow me in one bite if he didn’t like me.” He scooted the chair closer to Dick before flopping down on it.

“A few years ago, maybe. Nowadays he’s mostly calm and sleepy.”

“How long has Conner had him?”

“Seven years, same as the sphere he left on. M’gann used to say he liked adopting strays because he was a stray himself.”

“He did make a comment the other day about how his relationship with Clark wasn’t always the best.”

Dick finished typing, twisted his chair to give Kon a proper look and a nod. “Years went by before he and Clark came to accept each other. Clark didn’t know what to do or how to act. It was hard on both of them at first, but it’s always nice to hear them today and call each other brother.”

“Brothers, huh?”

“Your relationship with the Clark from your world isn't brotherly?”

“Not so much.” Kon grinned. “He acted like a dad from the start, but then he realized he didn’t know how to handle me so he sent me with Ma and Pa, and those two straightened me up in record time.”

“Were you a problem child?”

“Worse. I was a _teenager_, and a precocious one. I’ll never understand why the women I made passes at didn’t slap me or pull me by the ear. Ma did pull on my ears, so by the time I joined the Titans I wasn’t as bad.” Here he paused, prepared himself for whatever negative reaction his next words would bring. “Except when it came to you, of course.”

Much to his surprise and his relief, Dick merely looked amused. “So you made passes at me, too?”

“More like I fell in love with you the moment I met you. Looking back, it’s quite embarrassing to remember and say out loud.”

“Was I one of your first crushes?”

“The first one, yeah.”

Dick smiled. “And did we date in your world? Are we still dating?”

“You never even noticed I existed, not in that way. Hell, by the time I met you, you’d had a steady girlfriend for like six years, and I was still a kid.”

“And I’m still dating that girl now?”

“No.”

“Oh. And you still have feelings for me?”

“… Yeah.”

“And have you tried giving us a chance in the present time?”

“What part of ‘I ruined your life’ did you miss?”

Dick’s smile disappeared. He sighed, placing his hands on top of his belly. When he spoke next, his tone was gentle yet careful. This was a tone Kon had heard already. “You keep saying you ruined my life, but I get the feeling you’re exaggerating. Unless you killed a family member in front of me or exposed my identity, I doubt you or anyone else could ruin my life.”

“Were you trying to be funny?”

“No, I mean it. You make it sound like you did both things I mentioned and then spat on my face, and I would bet my life that’s not the case.”

“I think it’s close enough.”

Dick seemed ready to protest and slap him to reprimand him. Luckily, before he could get a word out, there was a blinding light from what Kon guessed was a man-made transporter, and a mechanical voice said, _Zatanna. Two. Five._

The light faded, and none other than Zatanna Zatara was left standing in the middle of the basement, appearing somewhat dazed. She seemed to be about Dick’s age, which did surprise Kon. The Zatanna from his world was closer to Bruce’s age than his own.

“Finally, Zee,” Dick said, spinning in his chair once more to glare at her.

Zatanna snorted. “You couldn’t have waited two more days for me to come home and decently contact me, could you?”

“I don't have the time.”

“You never do. What’s up? I need to get back into the Tower of Fate as soon as possible.”

Dick pointed at Kon. “Your last fight with Klarion screwed up the universe. Portals opened up, and he came through one of them.”

Zatanna turned her gaze on him. He waved. She didn’t return the wave. Instead, she studied him first. “And who might this be?”

“Kon-El.”

“Did Dick finally convince you to get a makeover, Conner?”

“He’s not _that_ Conner,” Dick put in, sounding offended. “He is Conner Kent. He is a Superman and Luthor clone, but he’s not the Conner you know.” Dick waved his hands in the air. “He comes from another… uh, world.”

She crossed her arms, and then she waited. For what, Kon wasn’t sure. Maybe she was waiting for Dick to drop the other shoe or tell her this was a joke. Dick did neither, which prompted her to frown and say, “Run that by me again.”

Dick did. He explained her everything from his end, from the moment Kon had come crashing through the roof, to M’gann sharing Kon’s memories with them, to all the digging he’d been doing for the last three days and the extra tidbits Bruce had helped him with.

Kon spoke next, and he told Zatanna more about what had appeared over the Titans’ tower in his world, what the portal had looked like before he went in, how they’d been monitoring them and how he’d fallen through the portal for all of five seconds before he was crashing into Conner’s and Dick’s house.

Zatanna listened in complete and utter silence, her expression turning blanker the longer Dick or Kon talked. She nodded every once in a while, frowned a few times, and by the time Kon was done, she’d grabbed one of Dick’s tablets and was drawing in it with one of those special pens.

“So, do you know what happened?” Dick asked.

Zatanna continued drawing in silence for a few minutes. He and Dick exchanged glances, but neither of them tried to peek. When she was done, she turned the tablet around and showed them the circle she’d drawn, with vertical lines covering it. It reminded Kon of a vague attempt at a map kids would draw in schools for geography classes.

“What tidbits of information did Bruce give you? What exactly did you find out?” she asked.

Dick reached out to grab another tablet, tapped at it a few times for the several windows of information to appear in one of the monitors. It was hard to make sense of everything on the screen, but at the very least Kon would recognize academic articles, what appeared to be taped scientific experiments and videos of conferences.

“Some people have been working on time-travel and reality-hopping,” Dick began. “Until now I’ve been saying other dimensions and universes, but that’s something we’ve already done, so reality-hopping is a better term. No one has been successful, of course, mostly because no one can figure out what is it they need to open or tug at to open doors to other realities. A lot of academics and scientists working under the table for companies like Wayne E. and Lex Corp have done theoretical research and presented theories about what they need to do. The experiments have failed, with the time-traveling ones doing slightly better.”

“People understand the concepts of space and time,” Zatanna said.

“But they don't understand the concepts of other worlds, similar to their own but not the same, at the same time, but not sharing the same space,” Kon added.

Dick brought a particular article to the front, highlighted several lines. “It’s not the easiest concept to grasp. Look at me, I’m still trying to fully wrap my head around it, and so are the people who want to achieve this. The biggest problem I’ve noticed, as these few lines suggest, is that they’ve all taken the scientific and logical approach, using cutting-edge technology not just from earth, but no one has tried to use magic or sorcery of any sort.”

“But it was magic what opened them up in the first place, wasn’t it?” Kon asked.

Dick nodded. “Exactly. Whatever Zee and Klarion did, it opened up all those windows into other realities without the necessity of a formal and scientific process.”

“It wasn’t a run-of-the-mill spell,” Zatanna intervened. “And it wasn’t intentional, but it was our fault.”

“Did something in particular go down while you were fighting Klarion?”

“He tried to pull off the same move he did all those years ago.”

“The one that caused Captain Marvel to shift between worlds?”

Zatanna nodded. “He was getting his ass handed to him, he couldn’t run away, and he couldn’t find anything else useful in our world to throw at me. I don't remember his exact words, but he did babble about using resources from the outside. I thought he meant spiritual planes or other planets, but he was talking about other realities.” She tapped at the lines she’d drawn over the circle. “I saw a shift in the air around us. Now I know he was tearing open the sky, tearing open one of these divisions that keep our reality separated to bring things into our world.”

“But you kept him from doing it,” Dick said.

“I did, or at least I thought I did. Nothing made it into our world, and from what Kon said, nothing made it into his. I thought I’d kept him from tearing at those invisible lines, and maybe I did… but not completely.”

“So the portals both here and in my world were the aftermath of this fight of yours because the magic you used against this Klarion wasn’t enough to close all the openings he’d already created?” Kon asked.

Zatanna pursed her lips. She looked guilty. “I think so… I’m afraid so.”

“Then why did they close after I came through? What does that mean?”

“I can't give you a concrete answer, because while I'm nearly positive of what I’ve said, this is going to be more than a guess. The magic Klarion used was to bring something from another reality into our own. The barrier separated to allow a foreign body to enter our world. I stopped Klarion before he could bring said thing here, but the barrier remained open because it hadn’t completed its purpose. My guess is that, luckily, you were the only one brave and foolish enough to go into a portal, and when you landed here, the barrier closed. It had completed its job, and hence, the magic could disappear.” By the time she finished speaking, Zatanna had gone a little pale.

Kon got out of his chair, helped Zatanna onto it, and then turned to Dick, at a loss on what to say. Dick appeared to be as overwhelmed and speechless as Kon felt, but after a few minutes he cleared his throat.

“Zee? You okay?”

Zatanna pressed her hands against her forehead. “I don't know… I didn’t expect that stupid fight to have this big of an aftermath, much less because I was so careless.”

“You couldn’t have known all of this before it happened,” Kon offered.

“No, but I could have tried to pay more attention during the battle and afterward.”

“This isn't your fault, Zee.”

“It is in part, Dick.”

The two of them exchanged glances again. Kon shrugged. Dick reached out to squeeze her shoulder.

“Is there a way to open the barrier one last time to send Kon home?”

“A different version of what Klarion and I used that day, yeah. It doesn't exist, but it could be made.”

“And you wouldn’t need Klarion’s help, would you?”

“Probably not. I’d need to create a much smaller tear in the barrier for him to go through it.”

“Would you be willing to help us out, then?”

Zatanna lowered her hands. She glanced at Dick, then at Conner. “I don't have much of a choice, do I?”

Kon opened his mouth to say that, yes, she did, but Dick spoke faster. “Not really. No one else is as powerful, and imagine explaining this big mess to another person.”

She groaned, covered her eyes with her hands this time. “I can do it,” she whispered. “I’ll do it, but I’ll need a couple of days at the very least.”

“Kon?”

“That’s more than fine with me. I like being here.”

That earned him a soft and short laugh from Zatanna, who nodded without uncovering her eyes.

“Maybe it’ll take more than two days,” she said.

“It’s all right,” Kon assured her.

And it really was. He wasn’t home, he wasn’t with the people he’d known all his life. Yet, this world was familiar, even comforting to a point. Kon had no real rush to leave, so yeah, two or more days sounded good.

* * *

Kon flew onto the roof the following night after having an amicable dinner with everyone, Zatanna included. He sat down and stared at the sky, wondering if the sky itself was different from the one he was used to seeing at home. He knew it was impossible to count stars, and finding constellations wasn’t the best idea either, given he was not in the same geographical area as Metropolis, Smallville or even the Tower. After a good twenty minutes of imagining the stars moving when they were not and swearing the moon was getting closer every second, Conner appeared on the edge of the roof too.

“If you wanted to be alone, the basement was free, and we have a whole backyard to explore,” Conner said, reaching his side and sitting down next to him.

“I figured I would be harder to find up here.”

“So you didn’t want to be found.”

Kon rolled his eyes, elbowed his boring counterpart. “You’re younger than me, shouldn’t I be the one acting all fatherly?”

“I wasn’t the one who went through a magical portal and ended up away from the world and people I know.”

“Oh, so that’s what you’re playing at.”

“You asked a question, I answered.” Though his expression remained blank, Kon could pinpoint a glint of amusement in his eyes. Kon thought about protesting, then decided to take pride in Conner’s behavior instead.

“So nice to know you’re not boring all the time,” he said with a huff.

Conner smiled, then glanced downwards at the front yard. “Why’d you come up here? Should I un-invite myself?”

“I wanted some alone time, but I don't mind my own company. Did Dick and Zatanna tell you about our afternoon yesterday?”

“Yeah, and I'm still kind of upset I wasn’t around to hear it all in person. We’ve pretty much found the solution to your issue, huh?”

“If it all goes on as planned, yeah.”

“Why don't you sound more thrilled about going home?”

Kon took a few minutes to try and figure out how to put his feelings into words. He knew what he wasn’t feeling, but he wasn’t sure there was a specific name for what he was feeling.

“I don't hate this place, you know?” he said. “I mean, sure, I’m curious as to what state Damian is in, wondering where the hell I am and being ready to kill me, and of course I’m worried about this plan not working and not making it back to the world and people I know. At the same time…” he shrugged one shoulder. “I’m not terrified of being here, or being around you, Dick or all your friends. This place doesn't seem terrible, the people aren’t terrible, and you guys give me a sense of safety and familiarity that doesn't make my heart ache with nostalgia.”

“So you really don't mind Zatanna taking at least another day?”

Kon shook his head. “I understand a spell and puzzle this big takes time, and as I said, I don't hate it here. I wouldn’t mind more time to explore around here and get to talk to you and Dick more.”

“It sounds like the ice wall between the two of you came down yesterday.”

“It did, and it was really nice to talk to him like one normal person to another. To tell you the truth, it’s been years since I’ve spoken to the Dick of my world.”

Conner didn’t strike him as a pushy person, but Kon supposed his aversion to the subject and his foolishness in letting out comments like those had piqued his curiosity.

“You haven´t spoken to him since you ruined his life,” Conner guessed.

Kon shook his head.

“Then what happened? When was the last time you spoke to him?”

“It's been years."

"Why?"

"Well, for starters, it’s my fault his life got ruined. I stayed around long enough for him to... get better, but then I figured I’d be the last person in the world he’d want to see.”

“You assume a lot of things about me, don't you?”

The two of them startled at the sound of Dick’s voice. They turned towards the edge of the roof, found Dick on top of the nearest tree to the roof. He grabbed onto one of the branches, swung back and forth a few times, then jumped onto the roof with had to be his usual gracefulness and flair.

Kon couldn’t help but wince.

Dick groaned as he carefully made his way across the roof to where they were sitting. He stepped between them, and Conner was the first one to scoot over. Kon followed. Dick laid an elbow on each of their shoulders and proceeded to sit between them. Once he was sitting down, he leaned his head against Conner’s but kept his other arm on top of Kon. Kon relished the feeling more than he should have.

Then Dick dug his elbow into his shoulder.

“Ouch!” Kon cried.

“Did you hear what I said?”

“What? Oh, yeah.”

“Then why didn’t you answer me? You make a lot of assumptions when it comes to the me from your world, but it doesn't sound like you’ve actually asked or talked to me about what I think of your assumptions.”

“You hate me there, Dick. I mean, for years you didn’t notice me, and now you hate me.”

“Have you asked me if I hate you?”

“No, and there’s no need to ask because it’s very obvious—” Dick’s hand landed on top of his mouth. Kon nearly bit off his own tongue in surprise as he jerked back and stared at him with wide eyes.

Dick remained calm, pressed his hand harder onto Kon’s mouth and sighed. “You haven’t asked me. You don't talk to the me from your world, but if you know me, you should know I wouldn’t appreciate all these assumptions you’ve made.”

“But—”

“No, don't even start. Stop assuming things about me and making decisions for me. We don't even know what it is you did to have ‘ruined’ my life, but I'm positive it’s not half as bad as you think. I know you don't really want to talk about it, and I'll be a jerk by saying this, but I think I have a right to know since it’s me you’re talking about.”

“Not this ‘you’.”

Dick let out a long sigh, then shifted so he was leaning his head against Conner’s shoulder, who wrapped an arm around his waist in a somewhat awkward position for him but that certainly made Dick comfortable.

“Come on, Kon,” Dick said, and pierced him with those bright blue eyes Kon hadn’t ever had directed at him, not in such an intense and intimate way.

Needless to say, they were Kon’s undoing after staring into them for less than a minute.

He hung his head, steeled his mind and body… and let out an incoherent mumble.

“What?” Dick asked.

“What?” Conner echoed- If Conner hadn’t understood either, his voice must have been lower and even more incomprehensible than planned.

“Oracle,” he tried again. His voice was a bit louder this time. Dick and Conner exchanged a confused glance, and then Conner was the one who said, “Oracle? What about Oracle?”

“Have you heard from Oracle here?”

“Of course,” Dick said, “but I don't understand what they have to do with this.”

“’They’?”

“If you know about Oracle, great, but if you don't, I am not going to divulge their identity,” Dick went on.

This time, Kon was the one who looked confused. He turned to Conner, who shook his head in silent agreement with Dick. “Their identity is top secret information, even for the bats,” he explained.

“But there is an Oracle here already.”

Conner nodded.

Kon’s shoulder sagged in relief, releasing the tension he hadn’t even realized was there. He also let out a breathless laugh.

“That’s a relief,” he whispered.

“Come on, no more deflecting. Oracle. What about Oracle?”

Kon didn’t answer right away, trying to figure out the correct or most tactful way to say it. Sure, he could just state it and hope his voice didn’t break while he did it, but it didn’t seem like the right thing to do.

After taking another couple of deep breaths, he came to a conclusion. He had no other idea on how to approach the subject, so he was going to rip the band-aid off like he hadn’t wanted to.

He began. “About six years ago, Damian and I were rebelling against our fellow Titans and our mentors. You were one of them, Dick, you’d been once since you left behind your own years as a Titans, and me being almost twenty-one and Damian nearly eighteen, we felt we couldn’t be Titans anymore. We weren’t kids, we didn’t need adults looking over our shoulder every single week and treating us like we still hadn’t grown up. Damian and I found the echo of that sentiment in each other, and it wasn’t long before we began defying orders, taking solo missions or taking liberties other of the Titans never took.”

Kon closed his eyes, thinking back to the fateful day as he continued talking. “And then, it was a couple of weeks after Damian had turned eighteen. We got a call from the Watchtower asking us to do a recon mission all the way over in DC. Apparently, something was going on with the President, or someone in the government, relating to metahumans. I honestly don't remember which it was. I do remember the team gearing up and heading to Washington. Damian and I had argued with Bruce and Clark before leaving. Damian’s voice was still sore from all he’d yelled. We got to Washington, and then Damian hacked some lines. We got extra information, decided this was a job we could do on our own and prove once and for all to everyone, we included, that we weren’t kids anymore, that we hadn’t been kids for years.”

Keeping his eyes closed, Kon brought a hand up and pressed it against his face. “We tracked a suspected congressman to a nice building in the middle of the city. We zeroed in on him. We thought we had him, we thought that catching him would automatically give us the answer the team needed and also the solution. Of course, we were both so angry yet stupid that we didn’t notice the trap until it was too late. Soon, it became quite obvious they’d been waiting for us. How do I know, you may ask? Well, they had kryptonite, which you don't get in the nearest grocery store. It didn’t leave me completely powerless, but it was enough for me to get caught. Damian put up a harder fight, but he lost too. We were now captured, out of commission, in perfect hearing range of what the plan was and no means to communicate it. Hours went by, but they felt like days. They sedated Damian, kept the kryptonite right in front of me the whole time. I’d never felt so useless and scared. They were new emotions, and I hated them every single second.”

Kon lowered his hand and opened his eyes. He was met by Dick’s surprised gaze and Conner’s wary one. It looked like Conner was already picking up on it.

“People were sent to rescue us, of course, and because Damian and I had been idiots, the rest of the Titans were also in trouble. I don't know who was sent to the other, but guess who offered to come and help Damian and me? To be honest, Dick, when you came flying through a window and crushing some jaws with your kicks in the first minute, I wasn’t exactly surprised. I was relieved, and my heart might have done some of those cheesy flips, and I thought, ‘it’ll be okay, we’ll be okay’ because you were there. And in fact, it wasn’t long before you were getting us out of there. And now… here, with a groggy Robin and a weakened Superboy, this is where it starts to get ugly.”

Kon glanced at his feet this time, then went on with his narration. “They wouldn’t let us escape so easily. There were other people in the building, and they followed us. Damian was very weak, and we weren’t moving fast enough to make our escape. I hadn’t gotten my powers back and they were gaining on us. We had three stories more to go to get out. If you kept helping us we weren’t going to make it, so you sent us ahead, told me to get Damian somewhere safe until it was time for us to leave. There was no time to answer or think, there was barely time to move. I took Damian and ran. I tried to fly, couldn’t do it for more than ten seconds, and with Damian not waking up fully anytime soon, it was hard to run. In the end, we did manage. We made it outside, and when another couple of guys came at us, I felt better, just enough to immobilize them before we continued running.”

He could see the next series of events as he said them. He´d revisited the night many times, he’d had nightmares about it, he’d analyzed that night a thousand times to figure out where he went wrong and how it could have been avoided. If only he hadn’t gone into that building with Damian…

“It happened literally a few seconds after the last guy in front of me went down. There was… this noise. Glass, that’s what it was. I heard glass shattering, metal creaking… and then…”

Kon swallowed hard once, then twice, and then a third time. He tried to get the words out, but they wouldn’t form. Even after all these years, the horror was real.

“Kon?” Conner prompted, voice gentle. Dick reached out to squeeze his arm. Nothing else was said, and Kon tried to steady his breathing and speak.

“And then you fell,” he finally spat out. It was enough for the rest of the story to come flooding out. “It was… sudden. I heard glass and metal breaking, and then there was a horrible crack, other sounds I can't describe. I saw a flash of blue, and I’m not proud to say this, but I dropped Damian and rushed to see what had happened. You were there, Dick… It was you. There was blood everywhere already, and you were still conscious, and you couldn’t move, and you couldn’t breathe, and you…”

Kon stopped talking and shut his eyes tight. “You were taken to the hospital. You were there for months, unconscious the first three weeks, and from the moment they got you to the hospital, there was very little that could be done. Your spinal injuries were irreversible, not to mention one of your ankles had literally been shattered. It took years for you to finally recover, but of course… your recovery didn’t include…”

“Getting out of the wheelchair,” Dick finished.

“…Yes.”

“Nightwing couldn’t exist any longer,” Conner said.

“Yes.”

“But I couldn’t stay still. The hero life is all I’ve ever known, and I wouldn’t want to turn into a regular citizen after that,” Dick said.

“Yes.”

“And so Oracle was born, probably as a coping mechanism to deal with the trauma of the fall and the losses it represented too,” Conner murmured.

Kon looked at him in surprise, and Conner sighed. “Dick is not the best when it comes to… dealing. Whether it’s grief, joy or any emotion in between, he has a hard time actually facing the issue and coping,” he explained. Kon turned to Dick to see what he had to say about it, found him giving a shrug and pouting.

“Or so Conner and every person in the world tells me,” he complained. His expression sobered, and he gave a nod, tightened Conner’s arm around his waist.

“So that’s what happened.”

Kon nodded.

“This was six years ago.”

“Correct.”

“And when was the last time you saw me?”

“About three or four years ago… I stuck around to see you mostly rehabilitated and at relative peace with being Oracle, I stayed to help all the times I could, however I could, but I couldn’t hang around after you had gained most of your independence back. You were unhappy, you still are so horribly unhappy in that stupid wheelchair, and I can't help but think…”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Conner cut him off. Kon didn’t hesitate to glare at him, but Conner didn’t back down. “It wasn’t,” he repeated.

“If I hadn’t been acting like a bratty child and actually putting some thought into my actions, it wouldn’t have happened. Or if Damian and I had been more careful going in, or if I hadn’t gone down stupid stairs and stayed to help you instead… there are so many things I could have done to prevent it. So. Many.”

“Your attitude might not have been the best, what with being rebellious and cocky, but we understand the feeling. That’s why the team was formed here, to escape the constant surveilling and have some freedom. It’s an understandable feeling that you could have handled better, true. The fall wasn’t your fault, though.”

“But—”

“It’s nobody’s fault except ours what happens to us while on duty,” Dick interrupted, eyes narrowed. “I mean every word of what I’m going to say, so listen well, Kon-El. Being in the hero business comes with risks, and oftentimes those risks are big and bad. I’m not talking about cutting your hand or catching a rash. I’m talking about broken bones, constant pain in your limbs, a lack of asleep, fatal injuries and yes, even death. Maybe not every person in our circle knows or pays attention to the risks, but I can promise you, that the Dick from your world always knew what could happen to him, and you know what? I doubt he regrets it. He was doing his job, saving two people he knew and appreciated. You and Damian were and are okay. I doubt he could ask for more.”

“It wasn’t fair—”

“Life isn't fair, Kon, and that’s a hard and cliché truth we must always accept.” Dick’s expression fell. “Does it sound like my life over in your world is perfect? Far from it. Does it sound like a change I would do voluntarily? It doesn't.”

“You’re so unhappy, and it shows,” Kon insisted.

“Maybe I am unhappy, maybe I still haven’t accepted my new life in your world. Then again, tell me something. Am I practical?”

Here or there, this was a question Kon could answer without even thinking about it. “One of the most practical people I know.”

Dick gave a small smile. “Then you should know that while my situation as Oracle isn't ideal, it’s not something I’ll always despise. It’s a thing I can't change, a thing I’ll have to live with the rest of my life, and sooner or later, I’ll come to fully accept it. You said I’ve made peace with it already. The day will come where I’ll embrace it, even if it takes me another ten years.”

“Which it might,” Conner said.

“Which it could,” Dick agreed.

The sheer absurdity of their reaction made Kon laugh. “I’m trying to be serious,” he complained.

“So are we.” Conner shrugged. “It’s not a light subject. We don't mean to make fun or joke about it. It’s obvious it still hurts and bothers you, but it’s not your fault.”

“I ruined the life of the man I still loved.”

“You didn’t. Whatever happened in the room, whether I was pushed or I fell, you couldn’t have known what was going to happen, and I didn’t die. Being Oracle change every single aspect of my life, but it wouldn’t ruin it. I wouldn’t let it,” Dick said.

Kon could feel a headache forming behind his eyes. He shook his head, then held it between his hands. “I can't let go of these thoughts.”

“Have you even tried? Listen to what Dick and I said today,” Conner tried. “Listen especially to what Dick said. It’s not your fault, and there’s nothing you can do to change what happened or to magically fix things. I know you would love to do all of what I mentioned, but if Dick is moving on with his life, so should you.”

“And you shouldn’t keep on cutting me out of your life or vice versa. You said you were there to help me recover. It doesn't seem like pulling away afterward was the best idea,” Dick pointed out.

“Now you guys are just being mean and attacking me.”

“We’re trying to knock some common sense into you, that’s all.”

Kon heard movement at his side. He lowered his hands in time to see Dick getting to his feet and giving Conner a hand up.

“We’re going to bed, and now it’s your turn to wallow in your thoughts and our words all night long,” Dick said. With one last stern look, Dick allowed Conner to pick him up, then Conner jumped from the roof to the yard as if it were nothing.

“Think about it,” Dick called.

“Goodnight.” Conner waved and offered him a reassuring smile before the two of them disappeared into the house.

Kon groaned. He stretched out his arms, then laid down on the roof. He focused on the stars, and he allowed himself to think not only about his own words but also about what Dick and Conner had said.

* * *

The spell was ready two days after their conversation. Zatanna called in the morning and apologized for taking a day more than planned. She was assured there was no problem at all, and then she announced she would come by in the afternoon to return Kon home.

Conner had taken the call and transmitted the news. No sooner had he finished that a somber air fell upon the living room. The somber and somewhat melancholic atmosphere lasted the rest of the morning, continued over lunchtime, and it reached its peak point when Kon took one last shower in Dick and Conner’s bathroom, left his borrowed clothes in the hamper and changed back into his original outfit.

It was five o’clock in the afternoon when Zatanna called once more to tell them she was already on her way. Dick took the call this time, and after relaying the news, they moved around the basement in silence for another half hour. Finally, Conner was the one who said, “I was getting used to having you here with us. I’m going to miss you.”

Honest. Straight to the point. Kon liked that about his counterpart.

“I could always stay,” he tried to joke.

“It’d be fun to have a… brother, yeah.” Conner smiled. “Sounds like a nice idea, but it probably isn't.”

“The Robin on his end and everybody over there must be worried sick for him. Even if we all wanted him to stay, it wouldn’t be nice,” Dick said.

Kon raised an eyebrow. “Oh? You include yourself in that ‘we’?” he teased. “You who had no idea what to do with me for over a day?”

Dick rolled his eyes, then walked closer to punch him on the arm. “You’re fun, Kon, and you’re familiar, and you click really well with us. It would be nice to have you stay, but you have a life in your world, not to mention people who love you and a mission to complete.”

“You’re still pressing me on that, huh.”

“I will until you’re gone.”

“It’s not something I can fix in a second, Dick, even if I want to.”

“It’s not, but you wanting to move on is the very first step. The Dick from your world doesn't hate you, I can promise you that. I’m sure he misses you. If you were there in his most crucial moments, there’s no way he has forgotten about you.”

“And you’re not a kid anymore, he’s not the same Dick he was when you first met him either,” Conner offered. He walked over to them, placed a hand on Kon’s shoulder. “If you still love him, this is your starting point to see where life takes you. It might give you a chance with him. It might not. Either way, you have to try, and in order to try, you have to let go.”

Kon hung his head, fisted his hands. He prepared to give his answer.

And then the Zeta-tube announced Zatanna’s arrival.

She stepped into the basement, expression serious and determined. She nodded her greeting. “Are we ready?”

Was there any other answer besides ‘yes’? Conner nodded. Dick replied with a, “as ready as we can be”. Kon didn’t answer. Instead, he followed the rest of them out to the backyard. His hands were sweating by the time they reached the yard and Zatanna turned her eyes to the sky.

“A portal will open for no more than five minutes. This time, it’ll be just one portal, designed to take Kon-El home. It will close afterward, and there will be no way to reopen it unless I do it,” she said.

The three men nodded. She let out all the air in her lungs, pressed her palms together in front of her chest. The words started spilling from her lips the moment she closed her eyes. Her body was enveloped in blue light, and she floated into the air, crossed her legs, and continued chanting.

The portal opened. It wasn’t loud, it wasn’t flashy, it wasn’t dramatic in any way. Had Kon not been scanning the sky, he would have missed the slit that appeared right above the house, as if a pocketknife had delicately sliced through the sky.

The chanting came to a stop. The blue aura around Zatanna didn’t fade, nor did she open her eyes. “Five minutes,” she said.

This was it. No more stalling. No more thinking. It was time to go home.

Kon faced Conner first, found his counterpart doing the same. They stood awkwardly at first, and then Conner was the one moving forward and enveloping in a shy yet relaxed hug.

“It was really nice meeting you,” Conner said. “You’re really cool, although I'm still ashamed you wear a super suit.”

Kon chuckled, returned the hug with all the strength he could muster. “I still think you’re boring, but I’m also glad I got to meet another version of me. You have no idea what an interesting and nice experience this was.”

Conner hummed. The hug came to an end, and Kon turned to Dick.

“You’re awesome here, as you are in my world,” he said.

“I’m also human, and you better not forget that.”

Kon snorted. Hoping Dick wouldn’t slap him silly for what he was about to do, he dove forward, picked Dick up like Conner had last night, one arm under his arms, the other under his knees, and lifted him off the ground for a brief moment.

Conner’s confused expression was hilarious. Dick’s shocked face and furious blush were priceless.

“I’ll talk to him when I get back,” he promised.

Dick’s eyes darted to one side, then the other, then up to Kon’s face. Then, he relaxed, let out a huff. “Good,” he said.

“I might not do it immediately. I need to work on my own issues before, but I will talk to him. I’ll try to make things right.”

“I’m very glad to hear that.”

Kon leaned his forehead against Dick’s. Conner let out an undignified sound, and Dick gave an unbelieving laugh.

“You think I have a chance?” Kon asked softly. There was no need to explain what he was referring to.

Dick thought about it. “Eventually,” he said, and then added, “Conner and I are very happy here. If you and the Dick from your world one day want to be happy together, I don't doubt you’ll be very happy indeed.”

“Ok, that’s enough!” Conner’s voice came.

Kon chuckled, kissed Dick’s cheek before putting him and turning without missing a beat to give Conner another fierce hug.

“Don't hate me,” he said without releasing him. Conner’s angry expression vanished, and Kon gave them both a salute before launching himself into the air.

“Thanks for everything,” he said.

Dick waved. Conner blinked several times, then also waved. Kon flew higher, closer to the portal. There they were, the same dark space and brilliant stars he’d seen not a week ago.

“Goodbye!” he yelled, spoke for the last time.

“Good luck!” Dick and Conner called. Dick waved again. Conner flashed him a thumbs up.

Kon smiled. He took a deep breath, focused on the stars inside, and without hesitating, he flew into it.

It was time to go home.

**Author's Note:**

> All mistakes that remain are mine and mine alone. If you saw any, please let me know so I can edit it out. English is not my first language nor my beta's, so I'm sure small things slipped by. 
> 
> Thank you soooooo much for reading this tiny lil fic, I hope I did a good job for the Big Bang and that you enjoyed it :D!


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